Residential door systems typically have a threshold at the base of a door assembly, having a door, which generally has a door shoe having a door seal around the perimeter of the door. Storm or wind driven rain, ice, hail, or snow can create an air pressure differential across the threshold of the door, resulting in higher air pressure at the exterior of the door than that at the interior of the door. This air differential forces water to be entrained in the high pressure air as the air flows across the door seal, which can migrate around some imperfect door seals and enter into the interior and living quarters of homes and buildings. This occurrence can often create safety hazards, damage, and deleterious effects to flooring and furnishings within the homes and buildings. A door threshold water return system generally can prevent such occurrences.
Different door threshold water return systems, seals, and the like are known and disclosed. U.S. Pat. No. 3,410,027 (Bates) discloses a threshold structure particularly for sliding panel closures having a fluid pressure head portion, which accumulates sufficient water to overbalance the pressure of the elements on the external side of the closure and produce an actual flow of water from the internal to the external side of the closure automatically and continuously, thereby eliminating the infiltration of water through the closure.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,831,779 (Kehrli et al.) discloses a self-draining panel threshold combination for a panel, such as a door or the like. The door threshold combination comprises weather seals around the entire periphery of the door lying in a weather seal plane. An open-ended water trough in the threshold extends from one jamb to the other, and lies substantially in the weather seal plane for catching water that leaks into and past the weather seals. The threshold has a weather seal adjacent to the water trough that is adapted when flexed by the closed door to allow entry of water into the open end of the water trough, and when unflexed upon movement of the door to its open position to cover the open end to prevent foreign material from entering the trough. A drainage system is provided for draining water entering the water trough out of the threshold.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,956,909 (Chou) discloses a water drainable threshold construction to be laid under a door, which includes a first extrusion, which has a longitudinal outside portion adapted to be placed outwardly of a bottom edge of a door, and a longitudinal inside portion lower than the outside portion. The inside portion has a space adapted for receiving water that flows from the outside portion. A tube extends from the inside portion to an outside portion for draining water from the space to the outside of the outside portion. A second extrusion is longitudinally mounted on the inside portion to cover the space, and has holes for passage of water into the space.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,789,359 (Bauman et al.) discloses a weeped end plug for a sill assembly, in which a sill assembly for doors and windows provides a weep system for channeling water away from the sill assembly. The sill assembly includes an elongated frame member formed with a longitudinally extending upwardly open channel that defines a rear wall, a front wall, and a floor that extends laterally and slopes downwardly from the rear wall to the front wall, and a sill that extends laterally from the front wall to a forward edge of the frame member. An end plug is securely mounted to one end of the elongated frame member and has a laterally extending drainage ramp disposed at a location flush with and immediately adjacent to the floor of the channel. The ramp leads to a drainage chamber, which in turn has an opening closed by a hinged weep door. Water collected in the channel of the frame member or that may get past the primary weather-strip of a door or window is collected in the channel and is fed to the ramp, which in turn directs the water into the drainage chamber and out the weep door, so that the water is directed away from the sill assembly.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,371,188 (Baczuk et al.) discloses a door assembly and a method for making a door sill assembly. One aspect of the invention relates to a door sill assembly having an open fluid receiving trough in its sub-sill. Another aspect relates to a door sill assembly having a tread structure that includes a lip for supporting a rectilinearly movable door panel, with a groove adjacent the lip for guiding fluid on the tread structure to opposing ends thereof.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,067,279 (Hagemeyer) discloses a door threshold water return system, which includes a wedge-shaped silicone check valve in communication with a water reservoir on the interior side. The check valve is normally closed, but will yieldably open in response to water pressure, which overcomes the resilience of the silicone material and air pressure on the top wall of the wedge-shaped passageway. The check valve functions as a seal against incoming air, but will open to allow water to escape, as needed. The silicone material seals around foreign material in the valve, making it substantially air tight. The bottom edge of the door includes moisture resistant material having an upwardly extending portion received in a groove. The exterior side of the door is also covered with moisture resistant material, which has inwardly extending portions received in a vertical groove between abutting panels. A moisture resistant plate extends along the bottom edge of the door, and has downwardly extending portions engaging the weather seal on the threshold on the exterior side and a wood portion of the threshold on the interior side. The plate directs water from the vertical groove outwardly of the door.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,357,186 (Gould) discloses a self-venting window frame, in which a hollow window frame structure is provided with a one way valve to permit flow from the exterior of a building to the interior of the building through the hollow frame, when the air pressure is higher outside than in the interior of the building, and impair flow from the interior of the building to the exterior of the building, when the air pressure in the interior of the building is higher than the exterior pressure.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,687,508 (Fitzhenry, Jr. et al.) discloses a water resistant door assembly, which includes a door frame, a door hingedly mounted with the frame, and a threshold. The threshold has a height selected to be equal to or greater than a water head at a pre-selected design wind load pressure, as a primary means to resist water intrusion. A series of gaskets, internal gutter troughs, and weep holes to the exterior of the door assembly provide a secondary means to resist water intrusion.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,018,307 (Burrous et al.) discloses a self-draining hollow threshold for an out-swinging door of an enclosure, such as a room, which comprises an interior threshold portion extending into the enclosure, and having an upper wall. The interior threshold portion has a drainage system comprising a slot in the upper wall, for draining water that penetrates the plane of the door. The water flows over the upper wall and through the hollow threshold to the exterior of the door and enclosure.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,665,989 (Bennett) discloses an entryway system with leak managing corner pads, in which an improved corner pad for sealing the bottom corner of a closed door has a sloped upper surface that forms a reservoir between the closed door and the jamb. Rain water that is blown up the weather strip by wind is collected in the reservoir until the wind subsides, whereupon the water drains out.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,179,804 (Young) discloses a self draining door sill assembly for use in the bottom of an exterior door frame of a house or other building. The assembly includes an elongated base and a threshold member adjustably attached to the base, for cooperating with and engaging a weather strip attached to the underside of a door, when the door is closed in the frame, to form a primary water seal. The threshold and base define an elongated water chamber therebetween, and the threshold defines an upwardly opening storm drain channel formed in and along an upper, interior side surface portion thereof, which terminates in a pair of slots located in opposite ends of the threshold, which slots also communicate with the underlying water chamber. A pair of spaced apart weep channels are formed in the base and extend from a floor of the water chamber exteriorly along and through an exterior side of the base, such that rain water which blows or seeps past the primary seal gathers in the drain channel, flows through the slots onto the floor of the water chamber, migrates along the floor to the weep channels, and then flows through the weep channels out of the assembly. A weather cover panel covers an exterior side portion of the base, and a compressible resilient gasket is attached to the weather cover and fills a gap between the weather cover and the threshold member.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,686,793 (Mills) discloses a threshold, in which an elongated body is provided for use as a threshold, and is transversely stepped, whereby the body includes high and low opposite side longitudinally extending upper surfaces. The body includes a central upstanding surface extending between the high and low upper surfaces, with the latter extending transversely of the body in opposite directions from the upper and lower margins of the upstanding surface. The portion of the low upper surface adjacent the lower margin of the upstanding surface is transversely downwardly inclined theretoward, and the body includes transverse inclined passages formed therein, with the upper ends of the passages opening through the upright surface lower margin, and the lower ends of the passages opening outwardly of the longitudinal marginal portion of the body away from which the upstanding surface faces. The upper margin of the upstanding surface includes an elongated seal strip, and the upper extremity of the inclined low upper surface curves downwardly toward the lower extremity of the body, for engagement by a door lower edge mounted seal strip.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,136,814 (Headrick) discloses a draining door sill assembly with adjustable threshold cap. The draining threshold and door sill assembly has an elongated frame member forming an upwardly open channel and a sill that slopes away from the channel. A threshold cap is removably captured within the channel and protrudes slightly thereabove. An end cap is securely fastened to an end of the assembly, and is formed with a drain trough that extends transversely beneath the end of the assembly. The drain trough has a first portion that at least partially underlies the end of the channel, and extends to a mouth at the outside edge of the assembly. Rain water that seeps under the threshold cap and into the channel flows to the end of the channel and into the drain trough of the end cap, which directs the water beyond the outside edge of and away from the assembly. The threshold cap has no openings in the top thereof, and is vertically adjustable in the channel by means of a set of threaded pedestals that depend from the bottom of the threshold cap and rest on the floor of the channel. The pedestals can be threaded into and out of the threshold cap to adjust the vertical position of the cap within the channel.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,289,635 (Procton et al.) discloses a continuous handicap threshold assembly with dual dams and selectively positionable sidelight cap, in which a continuous handicap threshold assembly for an entryway has an elongated extruded aluminum body with a threshold portion, for extending continuously beneath a closed door and at least one fixed panel such as a sidelight or patio door. An exterior sill extends outwardly and slopes downwardly from the threshold portion, and an interior sill extends inwardly from the threshold portion. The threshold portion projects a small distance upwardly from the sills to define exterior and interior dams to prevent water leakage. To accommodate the fixed panel, a plastic sidelight cap is adapted to be selectively positioned along the length of the body, covering a section of the threshold portion to underlie and support the fixed panel of the entryway.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,469,665 (Biebuyck) discloses a threshold system for a door, which incorporates a seal and a threshold plate. The seal mounts to the door, and has a flap extending therebeneath. The threshold plate has a raised inner section connected to a recessed outer section by an upstanding lip. The threshold plate is disposed below the door, so that the flap of the seal contacts with the upstanding lip of the threshold plate, thereby creating a seal between an outside area and an inside area. An outer deflector is mounted on the door body to deflect air and moisture away from the threshold plate and seal.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,052,949 and 5,943,825 (Procton et al.) each discloses an entryway system and method, in which a modular building entryway system accommodates an active in-swinging door or an inactive sidelight panel for use with conventional jambs. Specifically, an extruded aluminum sill is mated with an extruded polymeric receiving unit. The receiving unit defines an unshaped channel, which accepts a weather strip or panel cap. Either the weather strip or the panel cap is slidably positioned within the channel under the door. Additionally, a door sweep attached to the active doors sealingly engages the weather strip, to prevent water from entering the building.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,513,536 (Giguere) discloses a weather-tight seal for the sill of a household door, which consists of two extrusions, preferably of a plastic material that is a poor conductor of heat, insuring great imperviousness, owing to automatic adjustment of the bottom portion of the door, which is freely mounted, relative to the door sill. A horizontal flange enters into a bevelled and felted groove, to guide the freely floating bottom edge of the door panel, while, at the same time, a weather strip between the bottom of the door and the sill insures perfect imperviousness.
U.S. Pat. No. 322,086 (Bartholomew) discloses a door threshold having a centrally located longitudinally extending trough and a spout connecting the trough with the lower front of the threshold.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,202,482 (Dahl) discloses a weather strip seal between a sash or door and a sill or threshold.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,851,420 (Tibbetts) discloses a weather seal arrangement around a door, which cooperates with a threshold under the door to drain away water blown against the door. Weather seals along vertical edges of the door prevent water from passing inward, and also conduct water downward to the threshold, which has an enclosed chamber under the door. The downward draining water is guided into a top opening of the chamber, preferably by pile material over the top opening, and a drain opening leads from the bottom of the chamber and empties onto the outside sill of the threshold. The top opening of the chamber is about ½″ or more above the drain opening, so that wind pressure against the drain opening opposes a head of water within the chamber beneath the door.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,055,917 (Coller) discloses a door and threshold assembly, in which an inwardly swinging door is provided with a threshold assembly that substantially seals against entry of driven water and air. The threshold assembly includes a sloping sub pan having an upstanding rear wall. An integral outer threshold member and upper pan are connected to and above the sub pan. The upper pan provides a primary seal at the front edge of the door bottom, and defines a primary sill floor that cooperates with the flexible wiper blades carried by the door bottom to define secondary barriers. The inner side of the door bottom carries a final seal, which bars entry of air that may be driven through drainage holes provided in the sub pan, and interconnects the interior of the sub pan with the interior of the upper pan.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,310,991(Seely) discloses a door sealing system, in which a sealing system for an entry door incorporates a threshold member having a longitudinally extending open-ended channel in its upper surface. The sweep utilizes a double vertical seal design, which encloses the channel when the door is shut. The first seal contacts exterior portions of the channel, whereas the second seal contacts interior portions of the channel. The channel is vented through the threshold, so that the pressure on both sides of the first seal is equalized to minimize water seepage, while the second seal completely blocks the outside air from the interior of the building. The threshold is preferably of a two piece construction, which may be snapped together to thereby minimize manufacturing and installation costs.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,999,950 (Beske et al.) discloses an inwardly swinging door assembly, which includes a door member hingedly mounted to a frame. A multi-point lock engages the frame at more than one point. Weather stripping is cooperatively connected to edged surfaces. A pressure equalization member is cooperatively connected to the frame, for engaging the weather strip connected to a bottom edged surface.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,716,683 (Minter) discloses a door weather stripping assembly, which includes a first compressible weather stripping member mounted on and extending continuously around a door, with a compressible bulbous body for compressive sealing engagement between the door and a stop member of the door frame, upon closure of the door within the frame. A second flexible weather stripping member is mounted on and extends around the door forwardly of the first weather stripping member, for providing a rain screen effect upon closure of the door within the frame. The second weather stripping member includes a flexible leaf element, for frictionally engaging the stop member of the frame, upon closure of the door within the frame.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,138,413 (Fehr) discloses a standardized framing section for closure wings. A standard sized, or standard shaped profile is disclosed for use as header, sill, latch jamb and/or striker jamb portions within a framing section. In an embodiment, the top of the framing section is tapered toward one side of the section, the taper being utilized to allow for the shedding of water, snow, and the like, from the framing section, the section also including drainage ports, which extend through reinforced sections within a hollow of the framing section to provide for the draining of water away from the framing section.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,229,905 (Rush) discloses a combined door and window frame system. An elongate frame member of uniform cross-section is provided for a combined door and window frame assembly. The frame member is adapted to divide an outer perimeter frame into two areas, one to accommodate an opening window and the other to accommodate a sliding door in its closed position, and comprises a rigid supporting portion, an elongate recess of L-shaped cross-section, to receive one edge of the window, and an elongate flange connected to the supporting portion and spaced therefrom by an intervening web, the flange being so positioned, in the assembled frame, that a part of the sliding door, when closed, can engage between the flange and the supporting portion, to facilitate a substantially draught proof seal.
The door threshold water return systems discussed above are not capable of routing entrained water from the door seal into the door threshold water return system, and return the entrained water to the exterior of the home or building with substantially no water entry into the interior of the home or building. Specifically, the above mentioned door threshold water return systems are not capable of directing water to enter the door threshold water return system from the interior side of the system to the exterior side of the system, and out towards the door system in a direction opposing increasing air pressure and opposing air flow, thereby forcing water to flow out of the system in a direction of increasing pressure.
It is an object of the present invention to provide door threshold water return systems that overcome the aforementioned disadvantages and problems.